


No Choices

by cabin12kiddos



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:54:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabin12kiddos/pseuds/cabin12kiddos
Summary: Octavian doesn't hate Jason, he wants to be him. He wants the son of Jupiter's easy life, every part of it. And he's about to get it, with a little coercion of Jason's former love.
Relationships: Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Jason Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Octavian/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Percy Jackson/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Kudos: 18





	No Choices

She gasped. “How did you know?” 

“Well, you two weren’t exactly masters of secrecy, were you?” _Weren’t_ , Reyna thought. He was speaking of Jason as if the former praetor was dead already. “It was the little details, as it often is in cases of _discrepancy_ such as this.” 

The augur moved around her, toward the view of the city. From there, his voice could be heard throughout the entirety of New Rome. He looked at back a stunned Reyna, beckoning her forward with his eyes. 

“You should have covered Grace’s love marks yourself, he’s not good with makeup, not like you. You’ve had _years_ of covering up scars.” Octavian peered at her out of the corner of his eye, trying to get a reaction. Reyna’s face remained neutral. 

“In your younger days, as a spirited new legionnaire, you were placed in the second cohort, under Marcus Trainer. He was known for taking a _special_ interest in new recruits, especially girls around your tender age.” 

Octavian was right: she had gotten good at makeup fast in those days, learning to blend the foundation over the bruises and the scars in a way that made them look dated, or disappear completely. It was a valuable skill, and one she used often in her relationship with Jason, after their secret rendezvouses. 

“But Grace has never been good at hiding his relationships, has he? The way he would giddily skip away from the praetorium after you two had been ‘working late’, the not so subtle brushes between your thighs in senate meetings, his noticeably empty apartment most mornings.” Octavian leaned closer to the praetor, his lips brushing her ear. “I mean, look at the way he stared so longingly at the Venus girl. How he fearlessly grabbed her hand at the feast, his enthusiasm to show her his home, and probably his bedroom.” 

He stepped away, returning his gaze to the city lights. “Face it, Reyna. You’ve lost him. You thought you could replace him with the Neptune boy, but he couldn’t fill either of Grace’s roles, could he? He allowed his Greek comrades into the city on a _warship_ , and then practically made out with the Minerva child right in front of you. That must have stung, huh?”

He looked Reyna directly in the eye, waiting for a response. It was rare the praetor didn’t have a plan or twenty up her sleeve for any given situation, he doubted she hadn’t prepared for this. 

“So what? It’s not like you have any _real_ dirt on me. Almost every pair of praetors in the last thirty years have had romantic relations with one another, it never affected their ability to lead the legion, and it hasn’t affected mine.” 

“Oh, Reyna. Poor, abandoned, cheated on, Reyna. You’re right in that regard at least. Half the senate knew you were sleeping with your fellow praetor, that’s not the problem.” He stepped closer to her, grinning like a madman. “The problem, you see, is that the particular former praetor you were fucking is now a traitor to New Rome. And, given your relationship, it’s not a stretch to say you were likely an accomplice in his actions against the state.” 

Reyna froze. She wanted to deny him. She wanted to claim the senate would never believe him, that they would back the praetor that had delivered them to prosperity through difficult times. But they wouldn’t. They would support Octavian in overthrowing her and going to war against the Greeks. Against Jason. 

“What do you want?” She asked. “You love your ambushes, you wouldn’t tell me this unless you wanted me to know, flat out, that you were going to overthrow me and take my power. I’m assuming you have an alternative solution, one that involves me acting as your loyal attack dog, no doubt. So, what is it?” 

Reyna kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, wishing the sun would rise, and she could feel the small bliss of a new day spread before her. But the sky remained dark. Clouds covered the stars, blotting out the last light in the atmosphere. 

Octavian slipped behind her, running a bony finger across her shoulders. “You can’t function without Grace. He was your entire support system. And you’ve clearly been struggling without him. You can’t lead this legion on your own. Every queen needs a king, Reyna, and likewise.” _He called me by my first name,_ she thought. _He never does that._ She could see where the conversation was going. She hoped she was wrong.

“You had the right idea in replacing him, Jackson just wasn’t the right candidate. I think you know who is.” Octvian’s eyes gleamed. He clearly believed his case was airtight, and he may have been correct. Reyna could refuse him, yes, but it would cost her dearly. She would likely lose the support of the senate. He would easily overthrow her, retract any sway she may have held over the cohorts. There would be no one to keep him in check, no one to restrict his powers. He could award himself any title he wished, he could potentially crown himself emperor. His case _was_ airtight. Reyna didn’t have any choice. 

“Ah, so you see your position. Here’s what’s going to happen: I am going to be nominated as praetor in tomorrow’s senate meeting. You are going to give me your public support. We are going to present ourselves as a united front, declaring war on the Greek camp. We are going to _decimate_ the scum and capture the seven traitors alive, so that they can be publicly executed. I’ll even allow you the privilege of taking Grace and the Venus girl’s heads. Then, together, we’ll rebuild New Rome into the empire it was always meant to be.” 

Octavian sounded steadily more insane as his monologue progressed. “This isn’t a defeat, Reyna, it’s a victory. I get to have the power of the senate, the support of the legion, the adoration of the people, everything _you’ve_ enjoyed all these years. And you don’t have to _lose_ it. You get everything you had and more.” 

He leaned in close. “You even get back some form of Grace. I’ll be just as good a political partner, if not better. I’ll put the legion above everything, the way he never could. I’ll flaunt you, make sure everyone knows you’re mine, the way he never did. I’ll be gentle with that bleeding heart of yours, though I can’t say the same of your body…” he trailed off, brushing Reyna’s cheek.

“I can even promise the one thing Grace never had: fidelity. I won’t ever disappear on you, not like he did. I won’t ever stray to another. I won’t ever betray your trust like he has.” He turned to face her, dirty blue eyes staring into onyx. “I can give you so much more, all you have to do is accept it.” 

Reyna was paralyzed. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She felt as if she were a spirit, watching from outside her body as Octavian caressed her face, pulling her closer to him. He was forceful, belligerent in his courting. They both knew this -forcing her hand- was the only way he could win her love. It was deceitful, pathetic, sly, and yet she had no choice. 

“So, do you accept my offer?” he asked coyly. 

Reyna clenched her fist, feeling a single tear form in the corner of her eye. “Yes.” She had no choice. 


End file.
